
SEOUL/ROME, Oct 23 (Reuters) – The United States said for the first time on Wednesday that it had seen evidence of North Korean troops in Russia, and South Korean lawmakers said about 3,000 soldiers had been sent to support the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine with more to follow.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking in Rome, said it would be “very, very serious” if the North Koreans were preparing to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, as Kyiv has alleged, though he said it remained to be seen what they would be doing there. “There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia,” Austin told reporters, using North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In Seoul, South Korean lawmakers said that North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia and thousands more were expected to follow.
Pyongyang had promised to provide a total of about 10,000 troops, whose deployment was expected to be completed by December, the lawmakers told reporters after being briefed by South Korea’s national intelligence agency. The figure of 3,000 is twice a previous estimate of numbers of troops already in Russia. “Signs of troops being trained inside North Korea were detected in September and October,” Park Sun-won, a member of a parliamentary intelligence committee, said after the briefing. “It appears that the troops have now been dispersed to multiple training facilities in Russia and are adapting to the local environment.”
The Ukraine conflict broke out when Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022 and has since developed into a war of attrition largely fought along front lines in eastern Ukraine, with huge numbers of casualties on both sides.
Austin said the alleged North Korean deployment could be further evidence that the Russian military was having problems with manpower. The Kremlin has previously dismissed Seoul’s claims about the North’s troop deployment as “fake news” and a North Korean representative to the United Nations in New York called it “groundless rumours” at a meeting on Monday. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have also denied weapons transfers, but they have pledged to boost military ties and signed a mutual defence treaty at a summit in June. The latest numbers came after Seoul’s National Intelligence Service said on Friday the North had sent some 1,500 special forces personnel to Russia by ship and they were likely to be deployed for combat in the war in Ukraine after training and acclimatisation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also accused Pyongyang of preparing to send 10,000 soldiers to Russia. On Tuesday he called on his allies to respond to evidence of North Korean involvement in Russia’s war.
Comment: Rumors and reports of these North Korean troops have been swirling for a while now. Up until now, there was no mention of this from the US government. It makes this administration’s policy of escalation management look totally impotent and even silly. North Korean artillery shells, missiles and missile men are already known to be in Ukraine.
Why is Russia doing this? Because they must. Attrition works both ways. The mighty Red war machine is reeling from three years of SMO. They aren’t collapsing and I doubt they will, but they’re hurting enough to go to Pyongyang, hat in hand, and plead for help. That doesn’t do much for the Kremlin’s reputation. China is clearly okay with this, but South Korea is raising a stink. I expect more support to Ukraine even if it’s done indirectly.
TTG
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1848720716771766752.html#google_vignette
TTG,
Maybe the Kremlin did not go hat in hand to Pyongyang. Maybe the Russians and the North Koreans have signed a secret agreement in which … I don’t know, North Korea gets fast tracked into BRICS? That will really make the South Koreans happy.
James,
Putin did sign an agreement with Kim last June for “strategic cooperation” in all areas. The agreement also contains a mutual defense clause to defend each other against external aggression.
James,
I recall you asking me for a list of bad actors with whom Putin is aligned.
Let me guess, North Korea is actually a pretty nice place with mostly liberty and justice for all. Any flaws in the country are due to the evil US putting pressure on the poor victimized North Koreans.
Oh and a Russian transport airplane full of [ oh so very non-imperial/non-colonizer] weapons was shot down over Sudan by the very rebels that Russia is supporting. More of Russia just reacting to NATO aggression? Sudan is right on Russia’s doorstep after all.
Eric Newhill,
You do have a point about North Korea. I was pushing the line that the USA is aligned with many bad actors itself. I would say Putin’s list is shorter than the US’s list.
Nobody ever made an omelet without breaking a few eggs. It ain’t easy being the world’s hegemon.
The good news is that Saudi Arabia (and their abysmal human rights record) might be in the process of flipping over from being Uncle Sam’s good buddy to being Putin’s good buddy. But it is not like we are giving up our special relationship with KSA out of any moral principles or anything like that.
Putin also is allied with three, four or five African regimes and/or rebel movements.
Plus the Houthis, he sends them satellite data on shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden that they use for targeting. Not just civilian oil tankers but also the CTF 153 naval security forces incl Canada, Australia, NZ, a host of European nations, Egypt, Bahrein, Singapore, and Sri Lanka in addition to the US.
Come on, Leith. You have more wit than to fall for all this nonsense.
Ask yourself, if the Russians are so evil and sinister why are not the Neocon politicians and their Europoodles rolling up their sleeves and doing something about it themselves? Instead of hiding behind the proxies.
I’m seeing on this site the same proxy war fever I objected to in England in 2022. But the truth is that the US administration has been casting around since Vilnius and in reality as soon as the sanctions war was lost for a way of ditching the proxies without losing face.
Is this what the US has come down to? Chickenhawks such as Lindsey Graham going over to Kiev and urging the Ukrainians, now at their last gasp, to lower their recruiting age – whilst knowing full well that the US is cutting and running. Whilst their puppet in Kiev is still doing their bidding and forcing men off the street into the killing fields. Have you no idea what’s going on over there?
This is exactly what the Colonel feared at the start: that the US would suffer the dishonour of leaving yet another set of allies in the lurch. Your politicians and generals had no business putting the Ukrainians in the firing line in the first place, not when all knew the US didn’t have the kit to back them up properly and wasn’t on any account going to back them up with its own troops.
Washington. Westminster. Berlin. The chickenhawk trio now exposed as just that. Don’t let them take you for a ride just as they’ve taken the proxies.
Leith,
There’s no commercially available merchant shipping information or tracking systems anywhere? What a lost business opportunity. How did the al Qaeda operatives find out USS Cole was going to be refueling in Aden 24 years ago?
Fred – Transiting merchant shipping in the Red Sea have been turning off their AIS transponders. Naval ships routinely do that in the same area.
English –
It is in the Kremlin’s interest to drive up the price of crude. Putin would be an idiot if he did not help disrupt that seaborne traffic in oil. No nonsense involved in that, he’s looking after his bottom line. If Churchill were alive today and it was in the interests of Britain to do so, he’d do likewise without hesitation regardless of any evil and/or sinister connotations.
And what do U.S. officials have to say about this?
“U.S. officials as well as East Asian diplomats and congressional aides say
there’s little Washington can do practically
to stymy the blossoming alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang …”
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2024/10/21/scrambling-to-stop-north-korea-russia-embrace-00183727
Well, that’s just not true.
There is something very easy, and inexpensive, that Washington could do to stop pushing Russia towards North Korea (and China and Iran).
Stop supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Try to understand Russia’s security concerns, and stop opposing them.
But of course that wasn’t mentioned as a possibility.
There are quite a number of people on the American elite
who are “all in” in supporting Ukraine,
but seemingly utterly oblivious to the terrible costs of that support.
(E.g, the deindustrialization of Germany,
as well as what was just mentioned.)
Keith,
And the next Eastern European countries should the US stop supporting after Ukraine falls and big Vlad keeps on rolling?
casus foederis, Eric.
It’s meant to be a thing.
Making an example of bad actors pour encourager les autres is also a thing.
Why take any chances on divining intent?
Except that my example is a legitimate legal concept in international law, whereas your example is a war crime.
Go figure, heh?
YR,
No one in the real game cares about your legal interpretations. All that counts is what you can get away with doing. Everything is a crime to the losers. Everything is justified to the winners. That is life. International courts? Oh please.
Eric: “International courts? Oh please.”
Who said anything about international courts? Not me, so I have no idea why you mention it.
My point is much more nuanced: going to war BECAUSE you are coming to the aid of an ally who is under attack is a legitimate act, and nobody – but nobody – would object that that acted of military might.
But going to war merely to prove that you are willing and able to throw some pissant country up against a wall is NOT a legitimate act, and nobody would pretend that it is.
“International courts” have nothing to do with it: each such act of International bastardry makes the world more unstable, and makes that bustard of a country less and less a country that other countries can either trust or admire.
Plus, of course, there is the practical problem that sooner or later that belligerent warmonger runs out of pissant countries to throw against the wall, and will eventually try it on against a country that can punch back.
We are well and truly at that stage now, where China and Russia are not to be messed with, and all that’s left is Iran and…. well…. hmm…. not sure if that’s the smartest thing to try.
It really is that simple: STABILITY in international relations is a desirable thing, and military adventurism for the sake of it just isn’t.
You think the opposite, obviously.
YR,
“…there is the practical problem that sooner or later that belligerent warmonger runs out of pissant countries to throw against the wall, and will eventually try it on against a country that can punch back.”
Sure. Like Russia learning that lesson by attacking Ukraine.
No one cares about your sense of right and wrong, either.
Pissants need to be thrown against the wall once in a while when they get too big for their britches – and when it makes strategic sense. I myself object to foreign adventures that don’t make strategic/economic sense.
The US can prevail against any nation on earth if the weaklings, moral posturers and defeatists among us are ignored.
Anyhow, what is your point? Russia attacked Ukraine. US comes to Ukraine’s aid. You have a problem with that? Muslim maniacs attack Israel for 100 years. US comes to Israel’s aid. Problem?
As far as I can see, you’re just one of those antisocial types that hates his own and makes excuses for, and sides with, those who oppose your own, even when they are obvious evil, let alone morally ambiguous.
In short, you’re merely acting like a run of the mill critic, yapping criticism from the safety provided by the very people you criticize. No one likes a critic except other critics and angry teenager mentalities.
Eric: “Anyhow, what is your point?”
Thank you for asking, Eric.
My point is that the original question you posed to Keith was pointless: there isno treaty between Ukraine and the USA, therefore the USAisunder no obligation to lift a finger.
Exactly as the USA was under no treatyobligation to lift a finger to defend Georgia in 2008.
But “the next Eastern European countries” that you point to Keithare NATO members, so there is a treaty obligatio i.e. “casus foederis, it’s a thing”
Eric: “Russia attacked Ukraine. US comes to Ukraine’s aid.”
But that’s the rub, Eric, your original question to Keith compared Apples with Oranges.
There was no treaty obligation wrt Ukraine, and so the USA’s “aid” to Ukraine was – and still is – decidedly half-assed.
“As long as it takes” turned to “as long as we can” to now “here’s $200million, shut up”
The same is not true if (say) “big Vlad” decided to “roll” into Poland next.
Boots ‘n’ all then, Eric
YR,
“Who said anything about international courts? Not me”
You’re always rambling on about international courts. You did bring up law, which implies courts because law is nothing without courts to interpret and issue judgments.
I confess that I may have missed your point, obscured as it was behind all of the legalese and moral and ethical pronouncements.
So I think you are saying that Russia attacked Ukraine b/c it was attackable as a non-NATO member and, furthermore, that there is no need to worry about Russia attacking other countries b/c they are NATO members, which would result in Article 5 being triggered.
If so, there is a presumption that NATO is a useful and powerful organization; so much so that Russia is afraid of it.
The rest of your argument is incoherent.
Eric: “You did bring up law, which implies courts because law is nothing without courts to interpret and issue judgments.”
That is ignorance writ large, Eric.
International Law is not at all like domestic law, let alone domestic criminal law.
The “remedy” for violations of international law are diplomatic or geopolitical retaliation: condemnation, shunning, sanction, retaliation all the way up to “Take this, ya’ bustard! Boom!”.
Has been so for centuries, if not millennia, yet this is all news to you, is it?
The provision of international courts is a mere decades old and is certainly not the norm, much less being universal.
Each country has to decide for itself if it wants to be a law-abiding member of the family of nations, just as every country decides for itself how it will respond to a rogue nation that flouts those international laws.
We are seeing this play out in real time with Israel, just as I am old enough to see it play out w.r.t. Apartheid South Africa.
Toss international law in the bin and you have gone “rogue”, and when you do that the the world becomes an increasingly lonely and hostile place.
That’s what did the Afrikaaner regime in, not the courts. It will be what does in the current Zionist regime.
Both will end up down the gurgler.
You really have no idea how the world really works, do you?
Yeah, Right,
You’re talking about mores and customs, not international law.
No, TTG, though I will point out the “norms and customs” are one component of International Law , it is not something that is separate from and distinctly different to international law.
I am genuinely astonished by how ignorant some commentators here are w.r.t. international Law, yet you insist on pontificating on it.
Would you both like a primer on the features of International Customary Law versus International Treaty Law?
Heck I can even throw in an explanation for why “norms” of international law saw so many German generals to swing from the end of a gibbet after the Nuremberg Tribunal passed sentence on them.
Eric: “So I think you are saying that Russia attacked Ukraine b/c it was attackable as a non-NATO member”
No, that’s not what I am saying at all.
Again, I will point you back to your original question to Keith: “And the next Eastern European countries should the US stop supporting after Ukraine falls and big Vlad keeps on rolling?”
My reply is all about THE USA, not at all about RUSSIA.
Russia does what it does because it does things in its own national security interests.
The USA does what it does because it does things in its own national security interests.
The USA decided long ago that it was in the USA’s national security interests to ally with certain countries under the umbrella of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Those allies did not include Ukraine, and still does not i.e. the USA does not deem Ukraine’s entry to NATO to be in its own national security interests.
That all has profound implications on how THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA acts inside Europe.
That was why I pointed out at the time – and have repeated many times over – that your question to Keith was nonsensical.
As in: the “next Eastern European countries” on your supposed Big Bad Vlad hit-list are all in NATO. Ukraine is not.
The USA is therefore under **no** obligation to treat Ukraine like it would treat Poland, and therefore it is illogical to pretend that Ukraine needs to be given the same aid and comfort.
The USA is under no obligation to do so, and it hasn’t done so.
Eric Newhill,
Vlad had a window in which he could invade Ukraine before Ukraine joined NATO and he took it. To conclude from that that Vlad wants to fight NATO makes no sense. I do not believe that Vlad is a nice guy but I do believe he is rational.
James,
Ok. So Vlad is an opportunistic pussy. He grabs at what he wants when he perceives that the defense is weak. Only he’s also a stupid pussy. He didn’t figure that NATO would come to Ukraine’s defense regardless of membership status. On top of that, he attacked with insufficient force to accomplish the mission. Now he’s stuck in a stalemate that represents an increasingly ugly political situation for him.
What comes next? Should Russia ever appear to on the verge of truly triumphing probably NATO troops, air, etc would enter the fray and finish off Putin’s beleaguered legions. Then the midget will stomp his little feet and threaten nuclear revenge and be restrained as a result.
In short, if Vlad decided he doesn’t want to fight NATO, he is a myopic moron. He is fighting NATO – and losing.
Eric Newhill,
You might be eager to send NATO troops into Ukraine but hopefully the people in charge have cooler heads than you.
If you want to call the Russians psychopaths I will shrug my shoulders and say “yeah … hum, haw, you have a point”. If you want to call the Russians pussies then I am just going to roll around on the floor laughing. They are a lot of things – but that is not one of them.
James,
I personally don’t care about Ukraine. If I were in a leadership position in NATO or the US, I would care and would do whatever is necessary to stop Russian aggression (as well as Chinese expansionist megalomania, Mexican cartels, Soros/UN NGOs funding migration to the US through the Darien gap and a host of other issues). I probably even do something about that little lite in the loafers commie prick in charge of your country. Why? because it would be my duty to do the best for my country’s long term vitality – though I admit that taking care of Trudeau would be mostly for personal satisfaction. Hey, you gotta enjoy life and power when you have it
Some of the cost of supporting Ukraine:
“Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un first met in September 2023 to negotiate the purchase of North Korean artillery shells, rockets and missiles
in exchange for
valuable Russian military technology.
…
Putin and Kim in June signed a partnership and pledged to provide mutual aid and protection against foes.
The trade has been beneficial for both Russia and North Korea,
as the Kremlin has been bolstered with munitions its factories have struggled to churn out,
and Pyongyang has supposedly received
needed technology to further its nuclear and space programs.”
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4954081-north-korean-troops-ukraine-war/
Where did they get that idea?
From September 1964 to March 1973, South Korea sent some 350,000 troops to South Vietnam. The South Korean Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force all participated as commanded by the United States (as in Korea now).
Don Bacon,
The connection between what S. Korea did in VN and what N. Korea is doing to help their Russian buddies is what exactly beyond the most blatantly obvious – two countries joining a war?
Those SoKo Marines from the Blue Dragon Brigade were bad ass. Mike D and I were sent to their base at Go Noi island for liason on an upcoming operation. We stopped on the way and Mike took a potshot at a cobra that stood up and flared his hood on taking offense at us. Turns out we were too close to the Blue Dragon base and they opened up with a what sounded like a couple of hundred 50 caliber rounds. No harm no foul though.
I traded some c-rats with one of their guys. I got the best of the bargain as I pawned off a 45-year-old can of the dreaded Ham and Limas. But after eating their c-rat canned version of Kim Chi it destroyed all of the taste buds on my tongue. Everything I ate for the next two weeks tasted like burnt bacon.
Leith,
Nothing wrong with the taste of burnt bacon. I like it. I had some old C-rats around the time of transition to MREs. Burnt bacon masking definitely preferable.
WTF shooting at a snake outside the wire? Assume Goi Noi was Indian territory.
Mike to his credit was trying to protect a nearby Mama-san. But he didn’t even kill the damn thing. He missed and snakeboy managed to slither off.
Turns out we were about a kilometer or a little more outside the wire.
North Korea’s motives certainly have something to do with fear of Chinese imperialism, as does Vietnam. In fact, the whole of South-East Asia is afraid of Chinese imperialism. When 180,000 Chinese troops (not 500,000) beat the shit out of MacArthur’s troops on the Yalu river, it was a Chinese action in China’s interests.
The North Koreans have every interest in showing who Russia’s real ally is in this part of the world.
First of all, let’s recognise that the Russians and the North Koreans are allies, so they are doing what they have to do. There is nothing we can do about it.
This fact should give us an idea, an idea for action to change. Let’s make a formal alliance with Ukraine, each country individually with Ukraine. That would be the exact mirror image of Russia-North Korea alliance.
We could send in our own troops, each in their own colours. NATO would not be involved, Article 5 would not apply. National nuclear forces complicate the equation. Good diplomacy should solve the problem. Europe is so densely populated that this weapon is totally irrelevant. The Russians know this.
It’s simple, clear and obvious.
But courageous as we are, we won’t do it.
re: the whole of South-East Asia is afraid of Chinese imperialism.
Baloney. China and ASEAN have an excellent relationship in no small way because of the BRI improvements China brings to SE Asia. The fear is of US involvement with Philippines given the US policy of forever war.
This has been Venice’s policy for 700 years: “It is more powerful than us. Our safeguard is to become his ally”. While waiting for better times.
You are confusing the first degree with the substance. BRI and all that are fly traps, sometimes very useful and often enslaving.
This sets up a serious problem for China and they may have to choose sides at some point. This new Axis of Evil, with Russia, Iran and North Korea will cause many problems for China that they can’t afford. Much of their economy still depends on exports and any miscalculations can cost them plenty. They are already facing an increasing breeze, with demographics and a tarnished reputation that is causing problems mainly in Europe.
Lars,
What are the odds China choses to side with China? I’m at 100%. Maybe Blinken and others know better.
Sure Lars – as if China doesn’t know that they are next on the list of who is going to get “taken out”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfI6fj8Doh4
I would not consider that to a very good source, unless you are collecting conspiracies.
General Wesley Clark cannot be trusted? I trust him more than I trust you, good sir.
I was referring to Rogan.
Lars, there are many other references to that claim from retired general Wesley Clark.
E.g.,
“Seven countries in five years”
https://www.salon.com/2007/10/12/wesley_clark/
“a tantalizing passage in Wesley Clark’s new memoir suggests that another war is part of
a long-planned Department of Defense strategy that anticipated
“regime change” by force in no fewer than seven Mideast states.
Critics of the war have often voiced suspicions of such imperial schemes,
but this is the first time that
a high-ranking former military officer has claimed to know that such plans existed.”
For other references to Clark’s claim,
see his Wikipedia article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Clark
and do a “Find in article” on the word “seven” ,
or see the section “Book on modern wars”.
That lists the seven countries:
“a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and finishing off [with] Iran.”
James –
That was Rumsfeld’s hope after 9/11. It probably originally came from knucklehead neocons such as Wolfowitz and Scooter Libby. Never happened. Rummy is dead. Ain’t going to happen. We don’t have the assets do it. And China was never one of those seven nations mentioned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY2DKzastu8
Elon Musk is reportedly also lending his armies to Putin.
https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/musk-putin-secret-conversations-37e1c187?mod=hp_lead_pos1
Moscow summoned the German Ambassador, alerted by media about the new German/NATO naval port in Rostock, former Eastern Germany. Russia feels Germany is violating the 2+4 treaty. Seems Lambsdorf mentioned the North Korean troops too …
The news caught my attention on the online magazine Telepolis. I link to their article below via Google Translate.
Deutsche Welle, English edition:
https://tinyurl.com/Germany-rejects-Criticism
Germany rejects Russian criticism of new naval headquarters
10/22/2024 2024
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the German ambassador over a new Baltic navy port. Moscow threatened “a corresponding response” and “extremely negative consequences”.
Telepolis:
https://tinyurl.com/National-or-NATO-two-plus-four
On related Russia ally news: Loretta Lynch sues the US Military on behalf of China. I wonder if she registered under FARA?
The Washington Post has aligned itself with North Korea by declining to endorse a candidate for US president.
Israeli missile strikes on Iran signal sincere desire for a two state solution. Israel rules the world, and Arabs get the moon (planet to be determined by future negotiations).
Boo hoo. Poor little Islamic revolutionaries.
Two state not viable. Why give your mortal enemies a fortress from which to build and launch an attack, like Hamas and their $32,000 purses and tunnels?
Israel declares Iranian civilians legitimate targets since they are hiding behind human shields.
Iran declared Israeli civilians legit targets by funding terrorists who attack civilians.
Anyhow, two wrongs don’t make a right and I think you are being swayed by propaganda. Got a quote from Israeli govt that says Iranian civs legit targets? Israel knows perfectly well that Iranians want to overthrow their despotic backwards religious govt. Pretty sure that Israel would not rock that boat, Kevan/Drifter/whoever.
Israel’s failed strike on Iran seen as clear success by US military.
I think a lot of us in the West failed to see the forest.
IMO, Russia and North Korea defense pact is a clever move in the chessboard for Russia and China. There is no daylight between this trio. China is simply trying to avoid more sanctions (bad for business). North Korea will be doing all the grunt works on the Pacific front that China cannot openly doing at the moment. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Philipines (all US allies) now have a worthy opponent close by that they must be more worried about.
The North Koreans are useless in Ukraine.
https://t.me/exilenova_plus/3080
Multiple cases of desertion on the front line
https://www.newsweek.com/north-korean-troops-deserting-ukraine-frontline-hours-after-arrival-report-1969726
China is not happy their little child is out of control and coddling up to Russia
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-soldiers-russia-ukraine-war-putin-china-rcna177211
“China is not happy their little child is out of control and coddling up to Russia”
It’s all in a day of the Info War started on Oct 11. As Bernard at MOB reported:
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/10/ukraine-hyped-threat-of-north-korean-soldiers-expands.html
“At the time of writing the above I did not know that the idea for this campaign came from RAND, the Pentagon’s think tank which often proposes strategic ideas. In a commentary about Russian/North Korean and Chinese cooperation published on October 11, three days before the start of Zelenski’s campaign, a RAND analyst wrote:
What Should the United States Do?
Given the differences in the objectives of Russia, China, and North Korea, the United States should be mounting major information operations against these three countries to highlight their differences and fuel distrust among them. Doing so would increase the likelihood of decoupling at least some of their partnerships… ”
I stand by what I wrote in the post above. After the defense pact between Russia and N. Korea, anything the DPRK does on the Asia Pacific front (which benefits China), it’s on Russia. Nobody can blame China.
TonyL,
Go on down to the wet market and get yourself a little live eel and a pangolin flank steak. Have Xiu stir fry them up for you. Kick back and enjoy. You have reason to celebrate – a masterpiece of double speak for the CCP.
Eric Newhill,
Are you posting from your Mom’s basement? We are adults here.
My favorite Japanese dish is charbroiled eel with sticky rice, sprinkle some sesame seeds, and served with soy sauce with wasabi mixed in… hallelujah 🙂
Condottiere,
Well at least you’re admitting that the NoKos are there, which is quantum leaps better than some of our leftist/anti-western trolls/moles who say it is all running dog capitalist propaganda.
They’re new to combat. Give them time then assess.
Russkii soldiers got some canned rations from their North Korean allies. Turned out it was dog meat.
https://x.com/clashreport/status/1852637869849854220
No Haitians involved AFAIK.
leith,
“No Haitians involved AFAIK.”
Haha. But wait until some Trump supporters decide to spread the rumor that Haitians were contracted by N Korea 🙂
I think the video is a bad fake, because it make no sense. Dogs are much harder to raise than chicken. IIRC, dog meat is much more expensive than chicken meat in S Korea.
TonyL –
Lots of Asian cultures eat dog. China does also apparently:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2074073.stm
I saw it in Nam, it’s Christmas dinner for Viet Catholics who emigrated south from Hanoi in 54.
South Korea banned it. North Korea celebrates the it:
https://www.dailynk.com/english/winners-losers-south-pyongan-province-dog-meat-cooking-competition/
leith,
“Lots of Asian cultures eat dog”
Oh yes. But usually Asians would not eat their own pets (dogs or cats, or even roosters). Dog meat are served in restaurant or bought from the market. Nowadays, dog meat usually comes from small farms. Eventually, they will go out of business because most Asian youths don’t have the taste for it.
N. Korea is an exception. We really don’t know much about it. What we think we know is usually from S. Korea press or goverment (i.e. official propaganda).
I think now it’s a good time to remind some of the commenters in this thread: analysis is NOT advocacy.